Mena, AR water hardness

Tap water hardness
8mg/L
0.5gpg
Soft

Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · May 2022

AR typical
39 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Data
Calculated from utility data

Mena water measures 8 mg/L (0.5 gpg) of hardness, soft by USGS standards. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (May 2022).

Mena on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+AR typical 39Hope: 11 mg/LHope 11Alma: 15 mg/LAlma 15Arkadelphia: 21 mg/LArkadelphia 21Malvern: 24 mg/LMalvern 24Hot Springs: 29 mg/LHot Springs 29Clarksville: 31 mg/LClarksville 31Fort Smith: 35 mg/LFort Smith 35Van Buren: 35 mg/LVan Buren 35Hot Springs Village: 36 mg/LHot Springs Village 36Greenwood: 52 mg/LGreenwood 52Mena 8mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+AR 39Alma: 15 mg/LAlma 15Hot Springs: 29 mg/LHot Springs 29Fort Smith: 35 mg/LFort Smith 35Van Buren: 35 mg/LVan Buren 35Hot Springs Village: 36 mg/LHot Spring. 36Greenwood: 52 mg/LGreenwood 528 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

At 8 mg/L, Mena is 31 mg/L below the typical Arkansas figure of 39. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 11 mg/L in Hope to 52 in Greenwood.

What 8 mg/L means at home

Soap and shampoo lather with very little product. Kettles and showerheads stay mostly free of white crust.

Some people notice that soap feels slow to rinse off in soft water. That slippery feel is normal and harmless.

Hardness is not a health problem, and EPA sets no limit for it. It is a matter of scale and soap.

What to do about it

Nothing, as far as hardness goes. At 8 mg/L a softener would have almost nothing to remove.

Carbon filter

If the water tastes of chlorine, a pitcher or faucet carbon filter takes care of that. It does not change hardness.

EPA record for Mena's water system

Mena Water Department · PWSID AR0000438

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 5,604 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
1
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Mena.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Chlorite'16'18'20'22'24'26Chlorite
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Chlorite12020Resolved

Health-based means a contaminant above its legal limit or a missed treatment step. Monitoring and reporting violations are late or missing tests and notices. Source: EPA ECHO, 2026Q3 export, violations with periods starting 2016 or later. Full EPA record.

Questions

Is Mena water hard?

No. It measures about 8 mg/L (0.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

What is the water hardness in Mena in grains per gallon?

About 0.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 8 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 0.5.

Has the Mena water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Mena Water Department since 2016, involving Chlorite. There were also 1 monitoring or reporting violation, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 46 cities in Arkansas

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, May 9, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.